This invention relates to improvements in steering column assemblies. More particularly, the invention relates to steering column assemblies including a positive locking system provided by the interaction between a toothed block and a rack.
It is known to provide a collapsible steering column assembly comprising a steering shaft that is supported within a steering column shroud. To prevent significant injury to the driver in the event of a crash the steering column should be able to collapse as an axial load is applied through the steering wheel, for instance in a front impact where an unrestrained driver is thrown onto the steering wheel.
A typical collapsible steering column assembly comprises a telescopic shroud, having an outer shroud portion and an inner shroud portion, an end of the inner shroud portion extending into the outer shroud portion. The outer shroud portion may be located closer to the steering wheel, or further from the steering wheel than the inner shroud portion. A telescopic steering shaft, also having an upper and lower shaft part, is supported inside the shroud through one or more bearing assemblies. The steering wheel is fixed to the upper shaft portion.
The part of the shroud closest to the wheel must be able to move, or collapse, during a crash so as to allow the steering wheel to move forwards relative to the vehicle body but be prevented from moving during normal use. There is also a need to fix the shroud relative to the vehicle body to define the rake position of the steering wheel. This is typically achieved by a clamp mechanism that secures the shroud to a support bracket that is in turn fixed to the vehicle body, perhaps to a cross beam provided behind the dashboard of the vehicle. The clamp mechanism may be adjustable to permit reach adjustment, or rake adjustment, or both, of the steering wheel. In the event of a crash the shroud must be able to move, and this is achieved if it is able to break free of the clamp mechanism, or for the support bracket to be able to break free of the vehicle body, to allow the steering column assembly to collapse telescopically.
A lever may be provided on an end of the a clamp bolt that forms a part of the clamp mechanism that the driver can push or pull to rotate the clamp bolt and thereby operate the clamp mechanism.
Steering column assemblies are known which include a clamp mechanism that relies solely on friction when locked to prevent unwanted movement of the column assembly. The clamp mechanism can be unlocked and locked by movement of a locking lever or, sometimes, electrically using a motor or perhaps hydraulically or pneumatically. These columns can typically resist radial and/or axial forces of 600 N applied at the steering wheel before slipping.
However, it is increasingly a requirement from car manufacturers that there should be no substantial movement of the steering column assembly when forces of up to 6000 N are applied. The objective is to prevent unwanted movements of the steering wheel in a crash so that the deployment of the air bag is ideally controlled.
For this, friction alone is often insufficient, as massive clamp forces would be needed to achieve this. Some method of Positive Locking is needed. Typically this involves the use of inter-engaging teeth.
There is a well-known problem with the type of “Positive-Locking” column which uses rows of inter-engaging teeth whereby, prior to operation of the locking lever by the driver, the selected steering wheel position has resulted in exact alignment of the tips of one row of teeth with the tips of the set of teeth with which they are supposed to engage. Inter-engaging of the teeth during the clamping operation is thereby blocked and, if excessive force is applied by the driver to the clamp lever to force it to complete its travel, permanent damage can occur to the tips of the teeth. At the very least, such a Tooth-on-Tooth occurrence will require the driver to consciously re-release the lever, find a slightly different wheel position and then re-engage the lever. Unless special means are provided to overcome this problem, then it is likely to occur during 10% to 20% of all adjustment operations. This is undesirable.